Apparel hanger spacer



y 1959 J. D. NATHAN 2,895,618

APPAREL HANGER SPACER Filed Dec. 30, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

APPAREL HANGER SPACER Joseph D. Nathan, Worcester, Mass. ApplicationDecember 30, 1955, Serial No. 556,731 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-123) Thisinvention relates to a new and improved apparel hanger spacer which isvery simple and easy to use and fits any size rack already in place, andit serves the purpose of providing a support for equal spacing of hunggarments holding the same at equal intervals and keeping the clothingand garments in an orderly manner on racks in stores or in the house;and it provides for quick and easy moving and shifting of the garmentsfrom one location to another along the rod without the necessity oflifting the hooks oil the clothes-hangers but providing for movement ofthe garments merely by pushing the clothes-hangers along the rodprovided with the invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing theinvention in place on a clothes or closet rod;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but greatly enlarged and partly in section withthe clothes rod omitted;

Fig. 3 is a plan view still further enlarged; and

Fig. 4 is an end view showing the invention applied to the usual tubingprovided for hanging garments on racks in stores or in closets, etc.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided an elongatedshell-like member generally indicated at which may be conveniently madeof metal, plastic, or other suitable material. This shell is made in aconcavoconvex form slightly greater than the section of a semicircle asshown in Fig. 4, so that it is tightly but removably and resilientlyapplied to a conventional clothes pole or rod 12. This shell may be madein any convenient length as desired.

The shell is provided centrally and longitudinally thereof with a longseries of outstanding sections or protuberances, each of which issubstantially pyramidal in shape. As seen particularly in Figs. 2 and 3,each of the protuberances is provided with fore-and-aft inclinedsurfaces which are here indicated at 14 and 16 and each inclined surface16 is separated from the adjacent surface 14 in the next pyramidalprotuberance by means of a transverse trough-like depression 18 which ispreferably concavo-convex in section but of less than semi-circularextent.

The shell member according to the present invention and as described inmanufactured by deforming or pressing the metal to provide the series ofprotuberances and interspersed depressions, it being noted that thedepressions 18 being substantially transverse serve to separate and arethemselves spaced by the pyramidal protuberances described.

In the use of the device, a length of shell described is snapped downupon the clothes-rod or pole, leaving the protuberances extendingupwardly. Then the clotheshangers, with clothes applied, are disposedwith the be had to the accompanying drawings,

Patented July 21, 1959 ice hooks of the hangers in the depressions 18and it will be seen that this construction holds the hangers evenlyspaced. The pyramidal protuberances may be provided of any dimensiondesired as a greater number of lightweight dresses, for instance, couldbe neatly hung on a rod than the number of heavy overcoats. In thelatter case, the protuberances would be made in elongated form.

In any event, the clothes thus supported are held evenly and neatlyspaced without being crowded in certain locations and too widely spacedat another location. When the clothes after some time becom'edisarranged, as for instance in a clothing store where the goods areinspected by prospective customers, etc., it is a simple matter tore-arrange the clothes once more in even, neat condition merely bypushing the hangers along the rod and clicking them into individualdepressions 18; and this is provided for by the inclined surfaces 14 and16 without which the hangers and clothing will tend to resist manualrearrangement.

In addition, this invention provides for a very easily made inventory ofgarments, it can be seen at a glance how many garments are in stock andthis in turn tells the buyer in a store how many garments should bebought in order to replace those removed and sold. This preventsover-buying as well as over-crowding of the garments on the racks, andalso provides for a much neater and more attractive display of thegarments which are easier to locate and display by the sales person.Furthermore, by maintaining the garments in equally spaced relation,wrinkling is prevented, and it must be kept in mind that prospectivecustomers are not particularly careful of the garments on the racks inthe store.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

A spacer for clothes-hangers comprising a thin shell adapted to beapplied to a clothes rod, said shell being separate from the rod andsnapped onto the same at the top thereof, and a series of hangerseparating protuberances on the shell, said protuberances being struckup from the material of the shell, said series extending 1ongitudinallyof the shell generally centrally thereof, each protuberance havinginclined generally straight side edges arranged longitudinally of theshell, forming a series of depressions for receiving and restrainingclothes-hangers between adjacent protuberances, the clothes-hanger hooksbeing forced to slide up the said inclined side edges in order to movefrom one depression to another, restraining the clothes-hangers betweenadjacent protuberances against accidental longitudinal movement on theshell but providing for easy manual longitudinal movement of hangers andclothes hung thereon at the will of the user.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS550,488 Dufiord Nov. 26, 1895 1,282,216 Goldberg Oct. 22, 1918 1,969,958Alder Aug. 14, 1934 2,293,168 Pirone Aug. 18, 1942 2,447,908 Hoots Aug.24, 1948 2,451,110 Newman Oct. 12, 1948 2,475,721 Prime July 12, 19492,540,023 Ackerman Jan. 30, 1951 2,655,296 Winzer Oct. 13, 19532,710,484 McGinnis June 14, 1955 2,710,695 Mazany June 14, 1955

